Both Jessica and I are ramping up our training right now in preparation for our fall marathons (she's running NYC Marathon and I'm running the Portland Marathon).
Part of our ramping up is getting in tempo or cruise interval runs (to get our feet used to turning over faster) and hilly runs. As you can imagine, this is reaking havoc on our muscles! To combat the soreness and keep our legs feeling fresh, we've recommitted to foam rolling and using our recovery tools.
We love our MELT Method balls because they keep our feet happy and really help allieviate soreness in the rest of our legs. The pressure of the balls on different parts of your feet translate to different pressure points and muscles in your leg (simply put - it's way more complicated than that but you get the point!)
Our newest favorite tools are from Tiger Tail. They are a small company out of the Seattle area. You've probably seen them at a race expo. Their Massager is different from The Stick because of the material. Tiger Tail uses a foam cushioning that doesn't pinch your skin. One thing I like about it is the precision. Foam rolling is great, and still recommended, but it's harder to get a precise area on your leg or back with a foam roller. The Tiger Tail Massager can really get into specific areas. It's also much more portable! I've been bringing it to work and using it throughout the day.
The folks at Tiger Tail are offering all of our readers $5 off their tools. Enter HotBirdHappyMuscles at checkout to get your discount.